A Vaccine Against Suicide?

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults, after accidents and homicide, and nobody knows what to do about it. Here’s a radical thought: What if we treated suicide like a disease that could be prevented with a vaccine?

Obviously, drug companies like Pfizer, GlaxoSmithkline, and Eli Lilly cannot manufacture a drug-based vaccine that immunizes the body against suicidal behavior. They aren't even willing to test their antidepressants in suicidal individuals, arguing that this would be unsafe or unethical. What we can do, says Dr. Alex Crosby, a medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is teach coping skills so that when an individual is faced with any number of risk factors for suicide, he or she will have a level of inherent protection and the tools to combat suicidal behavior.

Crosby argues that public health officials should target children and adolescents for a lifetime effect. “Generally we vaccinate against measles mumps and rubella before kids get exposed to it,” says Crosby. “The same kind of thing can apply to some kind of primary suicide prevention programs.” A dose of psychological resiliency skills early in life could inoculate kids against suicidal thoughts later on.

A 2009 Institute of Medicine report laid out proven approaches to preventing mental, emotional and behavioral disorders among young people. Specifically, students can be taught emotional control and expression and problem solving in difficult social situations. These strategies help build resilience and improve cognitive processes and behaviors, leaving kids better able to mediate emotional or psychological crises.

These coping skills are crucial, but Crosby believes our social and personal relationships should also be a major part of prevention. Research has shown that social isolation can be a risk factor for suicide while social support has a protective role. For instance, research has demonstrated that spiritual or religious people are less likely to engage in suicidal behavior, for unclear reasons. The studies have asked about membership to a religious organization, leading scientists to think that the social support that comes with belonging to such a group somehow safeguards members.

Suicide researchers refer to this dynamic as “connectedness.” One big study shows that building a sense of connection with friendly letters will lower the suicide rate. The vague term generally describes the nature and extent of social support. It’s a strategic part of suicide prevention at the CDC, but it’s very difficult to study. If connectedness does offer protection against suicidal behavior then individuals who have more social support should be at far less risk. But, few prevention programs and studies have incorporated this idea, making it hard to gauge its effect--particularly when it comes to separating out its benefit from other known protective factors.

For more information about suicide prevention, visit the CDC HERE. Also read the Forbes series on how the medical profession ignores suicide HERE.

(Rebecca Ruiz is a guest blogger and former staff writer for Forbes and Forbes.com)